Pokémon Sun and Moon - Ultra Beast quests, locations, and how to catch them

Pokémon Sun and Moon introduces a brand new type of Pokémon - if they even are Pokémon - in Ultra Beasts.

Mysterious creatures which come from an alternate dimension known as Ultra Space, the Ultra Beasts can in fact be battled and indeed caught late on in your journey, through a series of Ultra Beast Quests. But what are Ultra Beasts, how do you start Ultra Beast Quests, and what are the Ultra Beast locations?

A quick note: Ultra Beasts are essentially postgame content, and while the main story itself is mostly unspoiled here, the events of the Quests themselves will of course be detailed in full - read on at your own risk of spoilers!

Ultra Beast Quests - the Enigmatic Card and how to start the UB quests

The Ultra Beast Quests begin pretty much as soon as you start the game again after the credits roll. Waking up in your room, as you always do after a Pokémon game's wistful acknowledgements, if you head outside you'll soon encounter a strange old man, who hands you an Enigmatic Card.

Apparently this Card was sent by 'a certain... interested party' - but that's all the old man will tell you before scurrying off. You're to go to a guest room in the Akala Island motel on Route 8 if you want to learn more.

Once there, this all begins to make a little more sense. It turns out that old man was in fact a chap known as Looker, of the International Police. Pokémon X and Y players will likely remember the name, as he's a man who gave you several missions back in Kalos, too. This time, he's joined by his boss, Anabel, and the task is, you guessed it, the containment of all these dangerous Ultra Beasts.

Talking to them both you'll here plenty more backstory on the International Police and their prior knowledge of the Ultra Beasts, but the long and short of it is it's up to you to not just battle the Beasts which are roaming Alola, but to capture them - in order to both protect the citizens of the area and the seemingly frightened Ultra Beasts themselves.

You'll need to pass a quick test first though, to ensure that you're ready, with a battle agains Anabel herself. Then, if you succeed, it's on to the Secret Labs of Aether Paradise, where you'll meet there partner - Ms Wicke!

Talking to the Lab Assistant in Lab A, you can obtain the DNA Splicers, Prison Bottle, and Soul Dew - three highly valuable items relating to legendary Pokémon of previous generations, whilst down in Lab B, where Wicke's back to work, she gets down to the matter of Ultra Beasts. She'll give you ten Beast Balls - specially designed with a much increased catch rate for UBs, but no benefit for normal Pokémon - and then it's time to head back to Route 8 for a briefing from Anabel...

Ultra Beast locations - how to catch and where to catch the Ultra Beasts

Your hunting down and catching of the Ultra Beasts is actually split into a series of missions, with one per Beast. There are also a couple of quick things to bear in mind:

• Normal Poké Balls of all kinds do still work on Ultra Beasts - we caught one with a standard Poké Ball to test this.
• You can tell when a UB is available to catch in your current area, as the music will change to specific Ultra Beast score.
• Using a Repel is a good way to speed things up, as UBs appear in standard wild Pokémon areas like long grass and this will cut out all the pesky Yungoos from your search.

UB01 Symbiont - Nihilego

First up, following your meeting in the Route 8 motel, it's time to go hunt down Nihilego - the Ultra Beast you've already encountered a couple of times during your escapades with Lillie, Lusamine and Ultra Space.

There's just one Nihilego to catch, which appears at two locations: Diglett's Tunnel and Wela Volcano. You can go to either, whatever you preference!

Report back to Looker at the Route 8 motel when you're done and he and Anabel will soon set you on your way to your next task; catching Buzzswole or Pheromosa.

UB02 Absorbtion - Buzzswole; or UB02 Beauty - Pheromosa

On reporting back to Looker with Nihilego captured, he suggests that there's been another report of Ultra Beasts sighted over on Melemele Island, and asks you to regroup with him and Anabel there at the motel on Route 2, just north of Hau'oli City.

This time, none other than Officer Nanu rocks up, seemingly knowing a fair bit about Anabel, Looker, and the International Police, as well as these Ultra Beasts. You'll be told that there are either two Buzzswole or Four Pheromosa to take care of this time.

Once they're all rounded up, head back to the Route 2 motel and report back to Looker again. He'll once again be sent off, only to return with more news of Ultra Beast sightings, so time to prepare for your next hunt!

UB03 Lighting - Xurkitree

This time, you're told in the Route 2 motel that Xurkitree has been sighted over on Akala Island, inside Lush Jungle. It's time to regroup over at the Route 8 motel, where you're given more Beast Balls and sent off again to capture the Beast.

Once you meet Looker in the Route 8 motel though, you'll find him chatting to Poni Island's very own wandering artist-Captain, Mina. She fancies a quick battle, so prepare your team for some Fairy-type attacks, and take her down!

Report back to Looker and Anabel on Route 8, and this time it's off to the motel on Route 13, over on Ula'Ula Island, to regroup again, as more reports are pouring in...

UB04 Blade - Kartana; or UB04 Blaster - Celesteela

This time, it's Officer Nanu's turn to burst in with more sightings, as he does when you reach the Route 13 motel.

Anabel is showing some strange signs of weakness now, too - almost as if the presence of these Ultra Beasts is having some kind of physical affect on her...

After reporting back to Looker in the Route 13 motel again, he tells you a little more about why Anabel has been acting so strangely. It turns out she's what's known as a 'faller' - someone who came from an Ultra Wormhole in the sky with a total loss of memory.

Fallers were used by the International Police to lure Ultra Beasts for capture and study - they've seemingly had contact with them before, and learned that these fallers had some kind of scent or marking to them that acts a huge draw for the Ultra Beasts.

Looker is getting worried for Anabel's safety now - especially as she's been in charge of defending the local people whilst you head off to catch the Beasts themselves. But nevermind that for now, it's off to the Floating Restaurant in Poni Island's Seafolk Village, to track down one last Ultra Beast...

UB05 Gluttony - Guzzlord

Once you reach the Floating Restaurant, it becomes clear that Anabel's been sent on a diversion mission by Looker, to somewhere far away from the actual Ultra Beast itself.

This last one, Guzzlord, is located at the very bottom of Resolution Cave here on Poni Island, and is a toughie. In fact, it's so tough that Officer Nanu, who's back again to help, insists you battle him first before taking it on.

Defeat him, and you're free to head to Resolution Cave, through the now-accessible Poni Grove, Poni Plains, and Poni Meadow. Stock up on items and prepare for a long, high-level journey to the cave itself!

Need more tips? Use our Pokémon Sun and Moon Walkthrough and guide for the main story, our competitive training guide for info on IVs, EV training, Hyper Training and bottle cap farming, and breeding explained, our choice of the best Pokémon Sun and Moon starter from Rowlet, Litten and Popplio, as well as an in-progress list of where to find Zygarde Cells and Cores and our guide to the Battle Tree and both Battling and Trading in the Festival Plaza. We also have a list of QR codes list, Z Crystal locations, Mega Stone locations, Eevium Z Eevee User locations for Extreme Evoboost, evolutions for Alolan Forms and other new Sun and Moon Pokémon and fast way to increase a Pokémon's Happiness, plus how to transfer across Ash-Greninja from the Sun and Moon Demo, where to catch the Tapu Guardians, how to catch the Ultra Beasts, and how to download the Munchlax Mystery Gift.

With Guzzlord captured at last, your work's finally done. Check in with Looker back at the Floating Restaurant, then it's time to meet up with everyone for a full debrief with Wicke in Aether Paradise's Secret Lab B.

There, you'll receive your reward - a whopping $1,000,000! - from the International Police, for all your help.

That's not it, though - there's one last thing... Looker claims to have seen another Ultra Beast, or something like it, over Ten Carat Hill on Melemele Island! But it can't really be one - all of the Aether Foundation and International Police technology is saying the Beasts have all been captured - so what is it?

Well, that UB-like creature is in fact a Pokémon, and a legendary one too, called Necrozma. More on this one, soon!